80% of Baltimore 911 calls are non-emergencies. A new plan will make the department more efficient, officials say.

If you call 911 to report a stolen package in Baltimore, dispatchers will soon ask you to do it over the phone or online, instead of sending a police officer to respond in person. If you report someone having a behavioral health crisis, a social worker will be dispatched instead of the cops. Non-emergency calls and minor car accidents will trigger similar non-police responses. The goal is to make the Baltimore Police Department more efficient amid persistent staffing shortages and rising gun violence, according to city leaders.